This invention relates to an apparatus and method for downloading content to a mobile terminal with communication capabilities.
Recent years have witnessed the emergence and proliferation of the Internet, the World Wide Web (xe2x80x9cWWWxe2x80x9d), mobile communication technologies and mobile computing devices. As technology advances, telecommunications and computing are converging. Convergence is producing devices that communicate over networks and integrate media, telephony and computing.
Cellular communication networks, for example, allow subscribers to communicate both voice and nonvoice data. Typically, a subscriber pays a fee to obtain a subscription to a cellular network allowing the subscriber to use the network. The subscriber uses a mobile terminal to communicate on the cellular network. As technology advances, mobile terminals are increasingly constructed to be contained in smaller packages and also to provide greater functionality. One example, of a xe2x80x9cmobile terminalxe2x80x9d is the rapidly proliferating xe2x80x9ccell phone.xe2x80x9d
The same technological advances that have fostered the proliferation of the cell phone have also fostered great advancements in computing devices. Computing devices are becoming increasingly smaller, faster, and more mobile. Technological advancement in computing devices and mobile terminals is blurring the line between them. Mobile terminals are integrating more and more capability typically associated with conventional computing devices. For example, cell phones are now able to run software applications and provide Internet access. Accordingly, the term xe2x80x9cmobile terminalxe2x80x9d shall herein refer to a broad range of devices (e.g. Personal Digital Assistants (xe2x80x9cPDAxe2x80x9d), Communicators, Smart Phones, and Personal Computers (xe2x80x9cPCxe2x80x9d)) and not solely devices operable merely to communicate in a cellular communication system.
Mobile terminals utilize a range of processing circuitry to perform the functions described herein. The processing circuitry is generally capable of running, i.e., executing, content, also referred to herein as an application program. The terms content and application programs shall be used interchangeably herein and shall each refer to digital information. Content, executable or otherwise usable by the processing circuitry is typically stored at a memory device which is accessible by the processing circuitry. Downloading content to a mobile terminal is regularly performed. Oftentimes content is downloaded to a mobile terminal directly or indirectly utilizing the WWW. If an application is downloaded directly the mobile terminal has the capability to connect directly to the WWW. Whereas, if content is downloaded to a mobile terminal indirectly an intermediate device such as a PC is used. A Nokia 9000 Series(trademark), for example, permits the downloading of content thereto by way of a cable or infrared connection from a source, such as a personal computer.
As noted above, existing mobile terminals are capable of receiving content downloaded thereto. Increased amounts of, and types of, content shall likely be available to be downloadable to a mobile terminal in the future. Some, and perhaps much, of such content is private-domain content. That is to say, an owner, or other entity, has property rights in such content, and is entitled to payment for use of such content. Convenient manners by which to market, distribute and pay for such content are needed.
Software application providers are using numerous pricing models to provide applications over the WWW to PC users. These models range from providing applications at no cost to full cost. xe2x80x9cFreeware,xe2x80x9d as the term implies, refers to an application that a PC user is able to obtain without any payment. With freeware the user has full rights to the software, including the source code. Linux is an example of a freeware product. Some application providers do sell freeware, typically on a Compact Disk Read Only Memory (xe2x80x9cCD-ROMxe2x80x9d). However, the freeware is bundled with installation help programs and additional software. It is the packaging and additional software that is being paid for, not the freeware itself which is free by default.
xe2x80x9cSharewarexe2x80x9d is a term that refers to applications that PC users have full rights to at a low price. Typically, however, the payment is voluntary and sent directly to the developers of the application. In addition to freeware and shareware, some applications are simply sold at full price. Full price applications, are purchased by credit card or other money transaction and are fully functional from the start. The application is normally downloaded after the payment transaction has been processed.
In addition to the various pricing models discussed above for users to obtain applications, the functionality of downloaded applications can be restricted in several ways. xe2x80x9cTime limitedxe2x80x9d applications are applications that are only usable for a certain time after which they become non-functional. Time limited applications generally are associated with an unlocking code wherein the user obtains the code when the purchase price is paid for and is then able to unlock the application, making it functional for a determined time. Transaction limited applications, are only functional for a set number of uses or starts. Like time limited applications, transaction limited operations generally operate with an unlocking code.
In contrast to time limited and transaction limited applications, limited functionality applications are first obtained for free or for a low price by a user with some key functions disabled. After paying the full price the disabled functions may be enabled or the fully functional application downloaded from the WWW. Limited dataset applications contain an incomplete dataset. Games are often available in a limited dataset where only the first level is available to the user. The limited dataset application is generally freeware, however, use of the complete datasetxe2x80x94the additional levelsxe2x80x94requires payment of the purchase price.
In the environment of mobile terminals as compared to PC""s unique problems are encountered with downloading applications that require new solutions. Ease of payment and user satisfaction are key considerations when determining how best to provide downloadable applications to mobile terminals. Possible payment methods include charging for the application along with the monthly bill, electronic cash, credit card charge and monthly membership fee. These payment methods along with those described herein for PC users (i.e. freeware, shareware, full-price, and time-limited applications) present special problems when implemented for mobile terminals.
The various methods of distributing applications to PC users discussed above were developed in the PC environment. Mobile terminals, however, provide unique problems not encountered with traditional PCs. For example, current mobile terminals typically have less memory available for applications than current PCs. Current mobile terminal applications such as downloadable ringing tones are much less complex than typical PC applications. Accordingly, a mobile phone application cannot typically motivate a user to pay a price anywhere near PC application prices.
With any application PC, Mobile terminal or otherwise, consumers would enjoy the ability to test or try out a new application without paying full price. Accordingly, a manner by which to permit a user to download and application for a limited time, pay a small price, and test or try out the application is desirable. In addition, mobile terminals generally have much less memory capacity, at the current time, than PC applications. Because of limited memory capacity, a user or the mobile terminal itself may have to eliminate an old application in memory to make room for a new application in memory. If a consumer has paid full price for several applications that do not fit in the memory of the users mobile terminal that user will not be willing to pay for the applications that do not fit. Therefore, a manner by which to permit a user to pay for an application once but be able to download that application on subsequent occasions for a reduced fee or at no cost would be desirable. Moreover, the installing and deinstalling of applications should be as simple and or automatic as possible providing the mobile terminal with an uncomplicated seamless experience. Accordingly, there is a need for new manners by which to provide applications to mobile terminals. The invention herein solves these problems.
An embodiment of the present invention provides a method that records user identity when downloading an application from a server to a mobile phone so that application later can be downloaded again without separate charge. An embodiment of the present invention also provides a method by which an application with limited lifetime on the mobile phone can uninstall itself and thus free memory space for new applications. The terms delete and uninstall are used interchangeably herein.
One embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for a communication system. The communication system comprises a mobile terminal capable of communicating by way of a radio link with network infrastructure. The mobile terminal comprises memory for at least one application. The apparatus comprises an application database, a detector and an application-license database. The application database is coupled to the network infrastructure and contains at least a first application downloadable to the mobile terminal. The application(s) in the application database have a selectable lifetime during which the application is executable. In addition, the applications may be configured to delete or uninstall themselves from memory of the mobile terminal when their lifetime expires. The applications may be preprogrammed to delete themselves according to a preset lifetime or configured to delete themselves after the lifetime is selected. The lifetime may be calculated on time or transaction basis.
The detector is coupled to the network infrastructure and detects requests generated by the mobile terminal for downloading an application to the mobile terminal for a selected lifetime. The application-license database is also coupled to the network infrastructure and is configured to store the selected lifetime for the application. By storing the selected lifetime in the application-license database the user may download the same application at a later time for a lesser fee than originally paid for the application, if the lifetime for the application has not expired. The lesser fee includes paying no fee for subsequent downloads.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for downloading an application to a mobile terminal from an application database containing at least a first application. The application has a selectable lifetime during which the application is executable. The lifetime may be preprogrammed in the application or programmed in the application after the lifetime is selected. When the user of the mobile terminal chooses an application to download, the user also selects the lifetime for that application during which the application is executable. The lifetime may be determined on a transaction or time basis. The application is then downloaded to the mobile terminal from an application database. The user""s identification and lifetime selection is also stored in an application-license database.
When the application is downloaded to the mobile terminal it may be configured to delete itself or uninstall itself from memory of the mobile terminal when the lifetime expires. In addition, the user may be required to pay a fee for the application when it is first downloaded. However, because the user selects, and may pay for, a lifetime and that lifetime is stored in the application-license database the user is able to download the same application at a later time for a reduced fee or no fee depending on the lifetime remaining for the application.